The University of Texas at Arlington unveiled its new 8,900-square-foot Fraternity & Sorority Life Community Center on Thursday, providing a dedicated space for the University's 30 fraternities and sororities to gather, host events and develop leadership skills.
Located at the entrance of Greek Row and campus, the newly renovated facility exhibits a modern lodge-style design with large contemporary windows and glass doors, creating a bright and open interior space. Serving as a hub for Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL), which includes over 650 student members, the center will foster engagement among students, alumni and the surrounding community, strengthening FSL's positive impact at UTA and beyond.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, UTA President Jennifer Cowley emphasized the need for the new facility, as only six of the University's 30 fraternity and sorority organizations have houses on Greek Row. She highlighted the important role fraternities and sororities play in students' lives by providing a support system and a sense of community that can enhance academic success.
"To our students—this space is yours, use it well," Cowley said. "Make it a place where friendships are built, where big ideas come to life, where support is always within reach and where UTA's fraternities and sororities continue to thrive."
In 2024, UTA's fraternities and sororities raised more than $135,000 towards their respective philanthropic organizations and contributed over 8,000 hours of community service, primarily within Arlington.
Ashley Price, a senior marketing major and president of the College Panhellenic Council, said the new center reflects the impact of fraternity and sorority life on campus.
"This building will not only serve as a space for collaboration and mentorship, but also as a way to continue carrying out traditions that have shaped generations before us," Price said. "It will be a place where new friendships are formed, where leaders emerge and where we work together to make a difference—not just in our lives and chapters, but in the greater community."
The state-of-the-art Fraternity & Sorority Life Community Center features modern meeting facilities, banquet space, a kitchen equipped to cater events, a living room area, front and back porches and an outdoor multipurpose hardcourt.
Inside the center is the Mark and Selma Permenter Library, made possible by the generosity of Mark and Selma Permenter. Mark, a senior proposal writer in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), and Selma, DAR's assistant vice president for development services and administration, met while working at UTA, later married and have served the University for more than 70 years combined.
"Their commitment to UTA and our students has helped turn this vision into reality," Cowley said. "Thanks to them, the Permenter Library inside this center will be a space where students can study, collaborate and continue the proud traditions of fraternity and sorority life at UTA."
While Price is a senior, she said her greatest reward for helping bring the project to life will be seeing current and future students benefit from it.
"To me, this building represents opportunity," Price said. "It represents the late-night planning sessions for philanthropy events, the leadership meetings that shape the future and being able to come together to remind us why we joined FSL in the first place."
